Matthew 14 is blowing me away right now! Read it here:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2014&version=NIV1984
Okay, I know you probably didn't read it. Read it. This chapter is amazing! You need the whole picture!
It's amazing what we can glean from scripture when we read it in order! There are three stories (and I hate to use the word stories now because it seems like they are fake if I call them stories, so perhaps I should say three different accounts of history) all that I've heard many times before. But what amazes me is how they take place within approximately a day (from Jesus' perspective at least).
You have one more chance to read it before I dig in...please read it!
Okay, first, John the Baptist is beheaded, and the disciples take his body and bury it. Then the disciples go tell Jesus. Jesus hears of this news in the morning and is greatly saddened, so "he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place" (vs. 13). Then, hearing that he had left, the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns (they walked some distance). When Jesus landed back on shore, he was greeted by the crowds that were there waiting for him! He had compassion on them and began to heal their sick. They were basically out in the middle of no where, so the disciples told Jesus to send them away to go buy themselves food. But instead, Jesus feeds them with just five loaves of bread and two fish. Later, Jesus sent the disciples on ahead to the other side of the lake while He dismissed the crowds. He stayed back and went up the mountainside to pray. While the disciples were in the boat, He walked to them...on top of the water! And I want to add that when they landed on the other side, after all that major stuff with Peter, word spread that Jesus had landed in the area and people began to bring their sick to Him.
I added that last sentence because what amazes me most about this chapter is that Jesus is fully human and yet fully God. Imagine the emotions Jesus must have had in this one day! The day starts by hearing that John the Baptist has died, whom Jesus refers describes when He says in Matthew 11:11,
"I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist." Jesus and Johnny B. are the ultimate ministry partners. Jesus loves John! And now He's been told that he was killed for absolutely hateful reasons. Because Jesus is fully human, He retreats for a while. I can imagine He did what the rest of us would do -- cry and pray and remember.
And then, every time Jesus comes back from a time of prayer, He is immediately greeted by crowds who NEED something from Him. Does that sound familiar? Mother of young children, does that sound familiar? Pastors, does that sound familiar? All of us, does that sound familiar? Yet, Jesus does not help and heal people begrudgingly -- He heals them compassionately the Bible says. How can He do that? Isn't He still grieving His friend and just exhausted for all of this? He can do this not on His own strength, but because He's made time to be with the Lord and to get His power and strength from Him, even in a time of grief. Wow, that blows me away!
I mean, really. Take a look at His day! Sometime that morning He gets the news that John has died; He goes away for a bit to be alone; He heals and teaches the people all day; He performs a miracle to feed them all dinner; He goes away for a bit to be alone; He walks across a large lake (on top of the water) to meet up with the disciples and has a major teaching moment with Peter (keep in mind this is somewhere between 3-6 a.m. -- the fourth watch); then when they arrive on the other side of the lake finally, people are ready for His healing and help all over again! Oh my gosh! If ever my day is full and I don't think Jesus really understands, I now can see that he does! That just sounds exhausting to me.
So, what's the key to His ability to keep going? His attitude toward the people and His motivation for the work.
Where can we receive that attitude and motivation? From our time spent with the Lord.
On a busy day, how likely are we to spend EXTRA time with God? We think, I don't have time for that today. But according to Jesus, do don't NOT have time for it. We need His power and presence even MORE on the busy days! We need a perspective shift even more on those days -- Who are we really doing all this work for anyway? We need to be reminded to practice the very presence of God beside us on those busy days. Jesus knows this, and He did it on what was one of the most crazy days in recorded human history, I'd say.
Just another day in the life of Jesus, I guess.
Take time to be with your Lord today, despite how busy your day is. Get away to a quiet place and pray. Allow Him to give you what you need and to remember who you are, and greater still, who He is.
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